1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device, particularly for use in the home or by customers in restaurants, which facilitates the opening of oysters or clams, the device to be used in combination with a conventional oyster knife.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Oyster opening machines have been known for more than 80 years, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 545,329 to Zucchini. However, despite the existence of such known machines the same are not used by the public to-day for opening oysters. Rather, it is common practice to open oyster utilizing an oyster knife by gripping the oyster with one's hand and cutting around the periphery of the opening between upper and lower shell portions of the oyster, subsequently inserting the knife between the shell portions, and prying the shells apart. This common method of opening oysters can be dangerous due to the tendency of the oyster to slip when being held in position on a table or counter with one's hand, whereby one can easily cut their fingers or hands. Additionally, it is not uncommon when opening oysters by hand in this manner to scratch the surface of the table or counter with either the oyster or the oyster knife.
While the oyster machine described in the Zucchini patent overcomes these drawbacks, the construction of the machine is much too complicated to be of practical value. In particular, the machine would be quite expensive to manufacture, particularly as a device for opening oysters or clams in the home or for use by customers in restaurants. Additionally, use of the machine presumes that the oyster is within particular size limits in order to extend beyond the guillotine described in the patent, and could therefore not be used for opening both large and small oysters. Further, the end of the oyster shell which would be positioned beneath the plunger or guillotine is quite brittle, such that pieces of the shell would be broken and would fall into the oyster as the end of the oyster is being removed. As a result, the Zucchini oyster machine does not provide a practical alternative to opening oysters by hand.
The present invention proposes to provide an oyster board to facilitate the opening of clams or oysters, the oyster board being of simple construction in order to permit its use by children and adults alike. The oyster board can be manufactured easily and inexpensively and can be used for opening oysters and clams of all sizes, without limitation. As a result, the present invention provides a versatile device which can be used in the home or by customers in restaurants without risk of accidentally cutting one's fingers or hands with the oyster knife.